I've always had a fear of health and fitness retreats. Despite writing about wellness and lifestyle for decades and thoroughly enjoying the odd sound bath, Pilates session and hike, there were several things that held me back from booking a dedicated few days away on a retreat.
Mum guilt and the overwhelming juggle of sorting out little ones has led me to turn down more than I'd like to admit over the years because, well, it was just easier.
Also, the clichéd idea of being trapped in a place with beautiful Lycra-clad gym bunnies eating lentils made me anxious. It felt like a self-conscious way to spend my precious time when I could be drinking rosé and reading a trashy novel in the sun.
On top of that, I am a fair-weather exerciser to say the least, more walking than marathons, plus humiliating PE lessons at school all those years ago drummed into me that I wasn't very good at exercise.
Little did I know, it would take only 24 hours for my 45-year perception of exercise – and fitness retreats – to be transformed forever.
The Body Camp
Close friends had raved about the holistic lifestyle retreat The Body Camp and had even booked to return with their partners after they saw the change it had made to them.
Feeling like I was on the flickering edges of burnout, an invitation to the retreat came at the perfect time and in a moment of weakness, I thought, 'What's the worst that could happen?'
It turned out, nothing. Booking onto the retreat was the best decision I could have made.
Handing over the reins
Having looked after the schedule of my family for a decade, handing over the power to someone else to make the decisions of what would be good for me to eat and when would be good for me to exercise and what time to go to bed was actually comforting - the total opposite of what I had been worried about.
The brain drain that goes along with planning the mundane everyday jobs, such as shopping, food planning, and cooking had gone, and I could focus on just myself.
Fun and fitness
The difference about The Body Camp that I liked was the focus on having fun as much as looking after your health and fitness - it didn't take itself too seriously.
This was how the biggest shift in my approach to fitness came from. My time on the retreat taught me that running around playing beach games in the back garden or doing a kitchen disco to dance tunes is just as useful as doing a race, and so much more fun.
The only competition is with yourself and while you should push yourself, it doesn't help to look left and right at what other people are doing. Just move your body every day to help future-proof it so we can enjoy our retirement years raving, rather than doddering about.
Mental health reset
Mental health sessions are part of the itinerary at The Body Camp are mental health sessions and I was dreading them.
The thought of being put on the spot felt almost as bad as running. Another flashback to school? Possibly, but being guided through the power of reframing - changing what you are saying to yourself in your own mind - to be more positive and less negative, and the 1 per cent rule of changing something small each day to build up good habits, caused something to click in my brain that left me feeling lighter.
Actress Tamzin Outhwaite said she experienced something similar on a retreat during her recent Second Act podcast chat. The transformation she felt as a busy mum of two propelled her to set up her own charity, We Free Women, for those who might not have the means to fly away to retreats to also feel the benefit.
Reframing solo travel
Despite the guilt many of us feel about going away alone, the solo travel trend has skyrocketed in recent years as the perception has changed. Hilton’s Annual Trends Report for 2025 showed that 34% of people are eager to embark on a solo journey by the end of 2025, with many being women in midlife taking the opportunity.
Studies have shown that solo travel can boost emotional wellbeing, help with depression, relieve stress, and also, according to Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Jenna Kirtley, "help you tackle and overcome anxiety," a common symptom of perimenopause.
Over the four days of my own retreat, I was re-educated in how I ate, how I moved, how I drank, how I thought - and most importantly, how I needed to create fun and experience life outside of my little bubble sometimes.
The thing with being a midlife mum, is that the people I usually mix with at the school gates are very similar to me; we chat about similar things, including the children, work or family life.
Taken away from that, I spent days doing activities with people of all different ages, who had been through wildly different experiences from me, who were all amazing and fascinating.
It reminded me of my early twenties when I was lucky enough to go travelling around the world and spent late nights around campfires chatting to total strangers from different countries who had totally different outlooks on life and the universe.
HELLO!'s Second Act is a newsletter for women in midlife and beyond. It's completely free to sign up and is a one-stop-shop for advice and inspiration on the issues our Second Act community have told us matter most: health, relationships, travel, menopause, divorce, careers, finance and more.
That was such a pivotal time in my life and I still remember those months away fondly like they were yesterday, not over 20 years ago. I feel the same about this condensed four-day trip.
My mind felt like it had had a workout as much as my body, which was invigorating. It made me feel like 'me' again with less anxiety, and I even felt more relaxed - despite all of the working out.
I have genuine affection for the people I met and what we all got out of it - whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, I let my mind drift back to that trip and I feel a little calmer. I am a retreat convert - time to book another one…
